Address to the

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January 25, 2010

Keynote Address to theUtah Nursery and Landscape AssociationBy Greg Miller

A bit about meI was born in Salt Lake City on May 20, 1966. Im 43 years oldI am the oldest of five kids, four boys and a girl. My sister Karen is fourthIve been married for 23 years to Heidi. I am madly in love with herIm proud to say that I still have my first wife and my first carWe have three sons and three daughtersHeidi and I will become grandparents in June of this yearWe live in SandyWhen Im not working I like to spend time in Canyonlands in my Land Cruisers or riding my rode bikeTheres nothing I enjoy more than being a dadI owned a small tree farm (about 15,000 trees) for a few years and sold it about two years agoOther than my current job, my dream job is one where I could play in the dirt and drive a tractor all day

I was with my dad in April of 1979 when he made the deal to buy his first dealershipI have spent time in all parts of our organizationAutomotiveFinanceInsuranceBroadcastingReal estate developmentSports and EntertainmentRacingManagement

I feel my career has provided me with tailor made experiences to prepare me for my role as CEO of the LHM organizationA bit about our organization. We are aboutFreedom and free enterpriseWe are blessed to be able to conduct business in a free market economy, which is a wonderful environment in which to bring new ideas to life, and products to marketOur level of success is based on our ability to deliver value to the customer, in a professional and timely mannerIf we do our jobs well, we generate profits which keep us strong and allow us to growWe can then use our influence and strength to protect the freedoms that allow us to do business in the first place

Personal growth and developmentAs a family and an organization, we believe that helping individuals continually increase their skills and knowledge is critical to our collective successWe subscribe strongly to the idea of promoting from within whenever we have a position to fillHelping our employees grow and develop will only make us better and stronger as an organization

Making our communities betterIn order for our companies to be successful in the long run, we must support the communities we do business in, and add value wherever and whenever we can This can take many forms, from conducting business honestly and ethically, to supporting the high school football teamThe people who comprise the communities we work in, are the ones that ultimately give us opportunityWithout their support and patronage we wouldnt be in businessThats why its important for us to look for and take advantage of opportunities to give back

Developing relationshipsWe are a relationship-based organizationThink about the way you like to do business If youre like me, you like to do business with people you know and trustWe need to provide that same level of comfort with everyone we do business with, whether its our customers, lenders, manufacturers, vendors or co-workersDeveloping and maintaining strong relationships has served this organization well for many years

Building positive things that lastWe plan to be in business a long timeWe try to do everything we do with an eye to the futureWith every decision we try to determine what will be best for the organization in the long runWe direct our energy and resources toward things that will endure and have a positive influence on the people and communities were associated with

Being a force for good in the worldWe certainly dont claim to be perfect, but when faced with the opportunity, as an organization, we try to do what we can to make the world a little betterIn fact, my Dad coined the phrase, Go about doing good until theres too much good in the worldThis is a timeless idea that we can all practice every day.

My responsibilities as CEOProtect the legal, financial and moral well being of the companySurround myself with the best and brightest people possible Articulate my vision of what needs to happenEliminate obstacles that prevent people from accomplishing the missionProvide resources necessary to accomplish the missionGet out of their way and let them go to workInspire everyone to be a little better

Lessons Ive Learned over the Years

Business RelatedIdentify what you do best and do more of itPlan- Prepare- ExecuteHave a clear image in your mind of what you want to accomplish.More important than the will to win is the will to prepare to win. Vince LombardiConsistent execution of the fundamentals as well as they can be executed is what leads to success or victoryAdd value. One of the main reasons were in this economic crisis is because too many people were greedy or dishonest, or tried to pursue wealth without adding value through speculation. People contribute to society by producing. As Americans, we can do our part by being the best we can be in all that we do In spite of the crowded and highly competitive market place, there is always room in the world for the best. Bill Child: "Be motivated by excellence, not money. If you are, profits will come."Keep looking for opportunities to learn until youre interrupted by an opportunity to sellLearn to love resolving problems. That way everyday will be full of satisfying activity/experiences, and your skills will always be marketableControl your expenses: Ed Mansfield: Your expenses are consistent, theyre consistently $50k/month too high.

Personal ConductWe must take responsibility for our own actions and accept the responsibility for the consequences of them Personal accountability is a core value of this organization and the way we operate and manage"Even with external factors, each of us is still the most responsible for our success or failure." LHMDo not let the money and influence you have been blessed with go to your head and turn you in to a heathen. Humility and gratitude are as rare as they are beautifulInvest in relationships personally and professionally (Dad said I can transfer the ownership and operational knowledge, but you have to build your own relationships)A person, team, or company is nothing without spiritTake pride in what you do, and take pride in America. Have respect for one another. Its a bad thing for this country that we ridicule everyone except firemen: bankers, doctors, CEOs, PolicemenBeing anonymous puts us in a position of not accepting responsibilitySelf interest and the resulting harm to others has led to over-regulation. Over regulation has bred an environment in which too many people are afraid to take risks, make decisions or in some cases, think for themselvesIf I made all the rules, wed do away with 90% of our laws and replace them with one simple one: IF YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOMEBODY, YOU GET FLOGGED IN TOWN SQUARE

Time Management:Highest and best use: spend your time on the most productive things and delegate the restOrganize, prioritize, delegateNone of us are any busier than the rest, we just spend our time more productively. Some stay busy sleeping or watching TV. Others have long agendas of things to do that build/create things of lasting value and spend their time making them reality. We are all given the exact same amount of time. It's how we spend our time that separates the successful from the mediocreThere is no such thing as spare time. Every second countsTechnology is often more of a curse than a blessing because it enables or encourages distractionLiving in the moment is the hardest thing

My Personal PhilosophiesMake time and room for God in your life and work hard to make him feel welcomeMake good decisionsWork hardDo not let the demands of work reduce the quality of your lifeCreate things of lasting valueSolve Problems (What else could we do, burst in to tears and wait for death?)Serve othersBe not easily offendedProtect your healthFirst things first (Stay focused)Leave the world a little better than you found itEmbrace that which makes you want to be better and shun that which doesntLive within your meansStewardship versus ownershipIf youre not happy with your life change itNever underestimate your ability to have a significant positive influence on someoneQuiet Strength

Q&A

Closing CommentsTwitter.com/GregInUtah

"We're interested- we're excited- and we have faith in the future." Bono

In the end, the business(es)/organization is nothing more than a mechanism to produce and provide resources that should be deployed to make the world a better place